Grimoire Gaming

Spectral Voices

Michael Anthony Joseph

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| | N I C K N A M E S | |

• Mike — That’s a pretty obvious one.
• Veep — Among the Anime Club people, because he is the VP.
• Majus — His gamertag, which is a combination of his initials and the word magus, because he likes playing mages, you get the point!

| | A G E | |

15, 11/08

| | G E N D E R | |

Male

| | S E X U A L I T Y | |

Based on his internet history, definitely hetero

| | R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S | |

Single

| | O C C U P A T I O N | |

Nothing that pays, but he helps a lot with farm chores. His father is big on raising animals, and they have an small alpaca farm. It is a hobby, not a business, but there is still a lot of feeding, cleaning, and grooming to do. Mike doesn’t mind, he actually shares his father’s love of animals.

| | C L A S S I F I C A T I O N | |

Freshman

| | R O L E | |

Gamer Geek

| | L O O K | |

Mike’s Everyday Style

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| | H A B I T S | Q U I R K S | O D D I T I E S | |

• It’s a bit of an oddity that Michael attends BHHS, actually. He lives on a farm that is almost an hour north of the hills, but he goes to BHHS because his fathers wanted their kids to attend their alma mater. His dad, Jace, drives them all to school every morning, because he also works in the city. It works out pretty nicely, it’s only mildly a hassle.
• Mike has been teaching himself Japanese since middle school in an attempt to be able to watch anime without subtitles. Now that he is in high school, he is actually taking it as an official class, so he is finally getting beyond learning the basics of hiragana, greetings, foods, and the seasons.
• Throughout elementary school, Michael had a pretty intense lisp. He had a speech coach who helped get him out of it, but the old impediment shows itself every now and again when Mike gets particularly riled with emotion — especially excitement.^{Most of his hate comments from viewers are usually about his lisp, he’s only a lot sensitive about it.}

| | D R E A M S | |

Mike is a simple boy. His dreams involve travelling to Tokyo for a vacation someday, and becoming a veterinarian like his father. Or working at a zoo. Or a wildlife preserve. Something with animals...

| | L I K E S | |

• Video games — Conventions, cosplay, the whole nine yards.
• Anime — Conventions, cosplay, the whole nine yards.
• The color green — Everyone has at least one favorite color, green is Mike’s.
• Zettai ryouiki — Preferably with thigh high or knee high socks, but he isn’t an absolute purist.
• Animals — Foxes are his favorite.
• Chinese food — It’s unhealthy, it’s delicious, it’s paired best with video games. What’s not to love?

| | D I S L I K E S | |

• Lolis — Schoolgirl outfits are cute, but there’s a fine line between clothing style and fetishizing children, and it’s pretty vile to cross it.
• Spicy food — He’s got wimpy taste buds.
• Gym class — He’s also got wimpy muscles.
• Lag — It’s the worst, thankfully his dad makes sure their internet it stellar, even if they live on a farm.
• Dry eyes — He wears contacts and has to use wetting drops to keep his eyes from becoming an actual desert, it’s the worst.
• Bad fashion — For a geek, he’s pretty well-dressed, and he’s got his mother to thank for that. Dweeby hobbies doesn’t mean you have to dress like a dweeb! (He wishes that he could convince his friends of that.)

| | F E A R S | |

• Being single forever. He’s yet to land a girlfriend, but not for lack of trying.
• Speaking in front of large crowds. Mike isn’t your typical shy nerd, he’s actually quite sociable, but public speaking on a large scale — or being on stage — that’s a no go.
• Deep water and drowning, as he isn’t the strongest of swimmers. Doggy paddle all the way.

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| | H I S T O R Y | |

The boy with three first names was born to three parents. Well, technically he was born to four, but the biological father isn’t in the picture anymore, so he doesn’t count. Michael’s mother is Violetta Joseph, who found herself pregnant long before she was ready to have a child. Thankfully, her brother D’Angelo Joseph and his husband Jace (fiancé at the time) were more than happy to step in to raise the baby boy — with a lot of convincing from Jace, of course. The dads were still in college at the time that Michael was born, Angel was studying to become a veterinarian, and Jace was majoring in game design and animation. Raising a kid while putting themselves through school was hard work, but between the three of them (Vi included), they’d succeeded. Mike even got to be the ring bearer at his own fathers’ wedding, which was celebrated shortly after Angel graduated from vet school.

Angel now works as a veterinarian in a rural clinic north of Beverly Hills, while Jace works for Blizzard. Michael has inherited a touch of both of his dads’ hobbies and preferences, with his mother’s fashion sense and social nature. Mike is one of five children — himself, two adopted, and two through surrogacy. Philip and Heather are both adopted, separated in age by one year. Elena was born via surrogacy with Angel as the biological father and Jace’s sister, Cassandra Sterling, as the surrogate mother. Theodore was also born via surrogacy with Jace as the biological father and Violetta as the surrogate mother. Theo is the youngest and fairest-haired child of the bunch.

That’s Michael’s family. It’s big and full of love, and there is never a dull day. Because of that, there is also rarely a quiet moment. Being the eldest child, Mike took to becoming a bit of an introvert in the comfort of his own bedroom whilst his younger siblings screamed and ran about — many a night were spent with him wearing a headset, gaming the night away with his friends online, simultaneously watching anime on his second monitor. He plays PC games mostly, of course, because his father raised him right. In seventh grade, his dads agreed to let him start a YouTube channel and also Twitch streaming his games. Mike is quite fond of this after school hobby, he puts out decent content and even has a moderately sized following. It’s not his life’s calling or anything, but he’s pretty good at it.

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| | E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S | |

• Vice President of Anime Club
• Youtube/Twitch streaming under the name “Majus”
• Endless video games

| | B E S T & W O R S T S U B J E C T S | |

| B E S T |
Japanese, all sciences, and most math classes.

| W O R S T |
English and gym, because he isn’t the strongest writer or the strongest boy.

| | E X T R A N O T E S | |

Faceclaim: Damon Fizzy/Deefizzy
Color: 8EB582

Spectral Voices

Valerie Georgia Owens

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| | N I C K N A M E S | |

• Val
• Yung Bae (eventually!)

| | A G E | |

15, 07/26

| | G E N D E R | |

Female

| | S E X U A L I T Y | |

Probably straight, but a little bi-curious.

| | R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S | |

She’s got a bit of a crush on a certain yung rapper, but he doesn’t know that yet.

| | O C C U P A T I O N | |

Part-timer at McDonald’s — Working fast food isn’t glamorous, but at least she gets free french fries sometimes!

| | C L A S S I F I C A T I O N | |

Sophomore

| | R O L E | |

Nerdy Hipster

| | L O O K | |

Valerie’s Everyday Style

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| | H A B I T S | Q U I R K S | O D D I T I E S | |

• Val can speak Korean, as she was taught by her mother from a young age.
• She got her belly button pierced while she was studying abroad, and her parents still don’t know about it.
• Valerie has assigned a color to each of her classes, and all of her pens, notebooks, and folders are organized per their proper class color. Val’s notes are also extremely detailed, and she takes studying very seriously, often making her own study guides and outlines before exams.

| | D R E A M S | |

To go to Hawaii, and Japan, and pretty much any other island. Valerie has fallen in love with the ocean and hopes to travel to all of the most beautiful destinations to experience more of the sea. She plans to go to school to become a marine biologist, so maybe she can even call these travelling dreams “work” someday.

| | L I K E S | |

• The ocean and all of its inhabitants
• Korean BBQ
• Rap and Hip-hop
• Fashion — She dresses like a bit of a hipster and proudly wears the style
• Swimming
• Surfing

| | D I S L I K E S | |

• Pollution
• Non-reusable plastics
• Heavy metal music
• Gory horror movies (jump scares and spooky ghost horror is fine though)
• Math
• The irritating places sand can get after a day at the beach

| | F E A R S | |

• Shark attacks — She spends a lot of time in the ocean and, while she respects the creatures, sharks are very scary!
• Heights — Roller coasters are fine, because they go really fast so you aren’t up high for very long, but slow stuff? Nope! No looking over cliffs for this girl, and definitely no ferris wheels!
• Natural disasters — Earthquakes are the most likely to occur in California, but she’s watched enough movies to also have developed a fear of tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes and hurricanes, even if she will probably never experience any of these things.

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| | H I S T O R Y | |

“Hi, I’m Val! I heard that you’d like to know a little bit about my life. Where I come from, and all that. Well, I don’t really come from anywhere exotic, I was born and raised right here in sunny southern California. My parents were high school sweethearts… kind of… they at least met while they were both in high school! Moms is from the Bay Area, and Pops is from Florida — near Disney World — but he hasn’t taken us kids there yet. Laaame. Anyway, yes, they met while they were in high school even though they lived a whole country apart. It’s super romantic and I absolutely adore their love story, maybe someday I can have one just like it. They spent a summer together at a camp called Aces High, and they kept in touch long after they had to say their goodbyes that summer. The internet is amazing for that kind of thing! When it came time to go to college, they applied to all of the same ones, and both of them got accepted at UC Berkeley. So I guess they’re really more like college sweethearts than high school ones, because that’s when they started dating! Now they’re married and both work as accountants for Helmsley Enterprises — over in the Olympic Tower in Mountain View. It’s a crazy cool looking building from the outside, but I’ve never been in there. Let’s see, what else, oh! There’s me, I’m the eldest sibling, and I have a younger brother named Orlando, and a younger sister named Zoey — they’re both in middle school still. Orlando smells because he loves sports but not deodorant yet, and Zoey is cute, she’s a tiny ballerina! And well… as for me, I really like school, I’ve got a few good friends and I do well in most of my classes, though I struggle a bit with math, apparently I didn’t get my parent’s genes there! OH! My most exciting bit of history is that I studied abroad through the foreign exchange program last semester. I went to Queensland, Australia. It was amazing! I got to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, and the fish were so pretty and colorful, and OH MY GOSH, have you ever seen a baby sea turtle?! They are the cutest creatures on the planet! While I was there, I learned all about the ocean. Did you know that we are severely overfishing it? I stopped eating all seafood since my trip, I gotta do my part to help keep our waters healthy. In fact, I’m now making sure to study up really hard, because I think I want to be a marine biologist!

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| | E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S | |

• Ocean Club — Includes swimming, diving, snorkeling, and surfing.
• Swim Team
• Hip Hop Dancing — She takes classes outside of school at INITIATE Center of Dance.

| | B E S T & W O R S T S U B J E C T S | |

| B E S T |
Science

| W O R S T |
Math

| | E X T R A N O T E S | |

Faceclaim: Chanel Iman
Color: 3f3fb8

CANCELLED.

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_{A @Melissa & @Silent Observer Collab
Featuring: Savannah “Texas” Matthews & Trevor “Dopey Jock” Wells
Location: Bow → The Game Room
Special Guest: Josie “Emergency Situation!” Erickson @Kitty}

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Tucked into a corner towards the bow of the boat, Savannah and Trevor had found the perfect spot to continue chatting. The seabreeze seemed to lull the sounds of the party, and allowed for them to enjoy each other's company without the blaring music ruining the moment. And what a moment it was! The stars were bright and visible over the water, the air was cool (but not too chilly), and Savvy was having a great time with her redheaded suitor. What more could she ask for?

Brushing a lock of red hair out of her eyes, Savannah segued the conversation to a new topic. “So what was the beginning of high school like for you? Have you always hung out with the same people, or…?” She truly wanted to learn more about Trevor, and she knew she couldn’t pass up this golden opportunity to do so, but at the same time she was attempting not to sound too interview-y. The inner journalist in her was itching to ask so many questions, but she didn’t want to dig too deep. After all, she only had so many chances to make an impression, and the last thing she wanted to come off as was nosy.

Contented. That was the best way to describe how Trevor felt in that moment. In fact, he had never felt more content in his young life. A nice chilled brew in hand, the sounds of his classmates enjoying themselves in the distance, the beautiful sight of the ocean and night sky before him, and an even more beautiful girl beside him. Trev had his muscular left arm resting comfortably around her shoulders. Absentmindedly, his thumb brushed the skin of her shoulder, savoring the softness. He wondered if all girls felt this soft, or if it was a Savannah exclusive. Either way, he considered himself quite lucky for it.

“Beginning high school wasn’t much different from middle school… except for being able to join varsity. But yeah, my core friend group has pretty much been the same since moving here — Damian, Owen, and Brian, we all kind of grew up together. Not just school either, our families are really close. I try to make friends with everyone, though, I don’t think there is a single person in BHHS that I can’t get along well with. How about you, what was freshman Texas Savvy like?” Trevor responded before looking over at her with a curious grin.

Sav tried not to erupt into laughter, but she couldn’t help it. Instead of opting to make herself seem cooler than she actually was, a common theme among the people whom she’d met here in Beverly Hills, she let the truth spill out like it was nothing. “Freshman Savvy was lame. Yeah, she was pretty lame,” The laughter she was trying to hold in escaped as she remembered how awkward and quiet she was. Since then, she’d come out of her shell, but even remembering how dorky she was made her cringe. “But I’d like to think I’ve moved on from my awkward stage…. that is unless I’m still in it and I just haven’t realized.” Another small laugh escaped her mouth, so she bit down on her bottom lip to cease her giggles.

Trevor chuckled alongside her. Savannah had a contagious kind of laughter. Soft and sweet, like windchimes in the summer. “You? Lame? …I don’t believe it.” Trev said with a teasing grin. He watched adoringly as she tried to bite back her giggles. She was cute. So cute. “Convince me otherwise. What was lame? Did you have braces with headgear or something? Highwater pants that couldn’t catch up with your height?”

“Braces, yes. Headgear, no, but I did get glasses freshman year and the three months where I had both were absolutely heinous.” Sav recalled with bashful smile, not believing that she was revealing this all to him. There was something about him that just made her so comfortable — she didn’t just tell these things to anyone. “I had to give this presentation in English class on Edgar Allan Poe, and one of my elastics snapped off while I was talking — there’s no convincing you that I wasn’t a dork, I’m sorry.” She smirked with a slight shake of her head, as she knew there was nothing he could say that would prove her wrong. “It sounds like you were the opposite of that — you were on varsity freshman year, how many people can say that? Pretty impressive if you ask me.” Savvy nudged him playfully as she commented on his not-lame achievements.

The red-haired boy beamed a grin and laughed beside her as she recounted her dorkier years. He tried to imagine her all awkward in glasses and braces, and only found himself growing more enamored. When she mentioned him being on varsity in freshman year, he shrugged it off humbly. It wasn’t that big of a thing in his eyes. “Both Dames and I went straight to varsity, football’s kind of our thing. Not really special or anything, just a couple of dopey jocks. And hey, you wanna know a secret?” Trev asked rhetorically and leaned in closer to speak softer to her. ^{“I totally had braces in freshman year too.”}

The hairs on Sav’s neck stood up as he leaned in closer. There wasn’t much distance in between their lips, and getting all flustered, she turned to the side and laughed. “I’m sure they looked great on you.” She replied, gaining the courage to turn her head back to look at him once more. “But still, even though it may be your thing, never downplay the fact you made varsity as a freshman. In Texas, that’s like one in a million!” Texans took football very seriously. Lawn signs and everything. Savannah blushed, realizing she would have never had the courage to talk to Trevor as a freshman in her awkward stage. But look at her now!

“I think you’re one in a million too, Texas.” Trevor responded smoothly. The words just, kind of tumbled out, all on their own. Even he was shocked that he said them, but, he didn’t regret it. In fact, he smiled confidently, feeling quite proud of himself. Clearing his throat, he spoke up again. “How about you, you play any sports?”

Swoon.

Sav cheeks grew rosier as her eyes bashfully darted towards the ground. It was like Trevor knew exactly what to say to give her butterflies! Trying to formulate words to his question, she cleared her throat and spoke, “Nope, I’m an athletic supporter, not an athlete. I tried playing sports, but Kindergarten soccer was an absolute trainwreck so I hung up my cleats for eternity. Not the sporty type.” Savvy explained. She’d rather write about sports than participate in them!

“Hmm…” The ginger boy mused at that. He looked over to her with a smirk, his thumb still absently tracing circles into her shoulder as he did. “Maybe soccer just wasn’t the right sport for you. How about we go see what games they have in the game room? You might have an undiscovered talent.” Or, this was simply an excuse for them to have some fun and spend more time together.

“I highly doubt it, but let’s go find out!” Savannah replied enthusiastically. As much as she enjoyed sitting here cozily with him (spoiler alert: she really enjoyed it), this was a party! They needed to go and do something fun and active and the game room was a great way to do so. Taking the last sip of her Angry Orchard, she stood up and placed the empty bottle on one of the tables and extended her now free hand towards Trevor. “I would lead the way, but I don’t know where it is.”

“I do.” Trevor said with a smile and happily took her extended hand in his. Of course he knew where it was, this wasn’t his first time hanging out on the Helmsley yacht, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last. Especially now that Bri was back. Thankfully, by the time the innocent ginger pair had made it down to the game room, the naked card game had already concluded, so there was no need for any more blushing than was usual for the two of them together. Trev’s eyes scanned the room for options, “Looks like there is pool, pong, foosball, darts, air hockey… whatcha feeling?”

Savannah pondered their options carefully, gazing around the room at the different games surrounding them. She already knew she wasn’t a pool shark — they have a pool table in the basement of her father’s house and she loses every time they play — so that was a no-go. The pong table looked crowded, and darts sounded dangerous and she didn’t feel like stabbing Trevor in the eye. She also didn’t feel like hitting any of her limbs against the foosball table pegs. Air hockey it was! “I’m thinking air hockey, that good with you?” Savvy stated, motioning to the table in the corner of the room.

“Sounds great!” Trev agreed and led her over to the air hockey table. He still held her hand as they made their way through the chatting and gaming groups of their classmates. He had no desire to let go of her hand, but he’d probably have to if they were going to play games. They arrived at their destination and Trevor turned to face her with a cheeky grin. “Now don’t be intimidated, but you’re about to play against a bonafide hockey player. Did you bring your competitive spirit?”

“You’re kidding me… is there a sport you don’t play?” Sav replied in disbelief. Not only did he play football, but he was agile and athletic enough to translate that all to the ice! Trevor seemed to do it all. Grabbing one of the paddles and the puck, she continued speaking. “But yes, competitive spirit is ready and raring to go and — oh look, what’s over there?” Attempting to trick him into looking away, Sav began the game whether he was ready or not… it was going to be her funeral, so she may as well score some points while she could! The puck soared from her side of the table to his, clinking into the goal.

Huh? As gullible as a school boy, Trevor’s gaze followed where she pointed, curious to see what had caught her attention so suddenly. Upon seeing nothing of note, the realization clicked. She wouldn’t. The clack of the plastic puck bouncing off the back side of his air hockey goal and the dinging sound of the table recording the scored point confirmed that, yes, she would. “Ohhh, I see how it is. Dirty plays, Texas, dirty plays.” Trevor replied with a chuckle and stepped up to guard his goal properly.

The red-haired boy retrieved the puck and repositioned it to start a new round. He went back to her initial, most likely rhetorical, question and answered it. “I’m pretty terrible at basketball.” He admitted. Damian beat him nearly every time they shot hoops together, but that didn’t keep him from playing on occasion. He wasn’t much good at golf either, but who was besides old rich white dudes? “But yeah, I love hockey. It’s more of a hobby, since ya know, Cali schools don’t really have ice rinks. I miss the cold from back home, so I like to skate at the public rink downtown when I can.” Trev knocked his striker into the puck and sent it gliding towards Savannah’s side.

Savannah couldn’t help but laugh at Trevor and how easily deceived he was. His clueless reaction was absolutely adorable, which made her laugh even harder. With a shrug, she tossed her hair over her shoulder dramatically and dissolved into a smile. “Can’t let you win that easily.” Knocking the puck against the left side of the table, it soared near the goal, but not close enough to score. “Hockey seems cool, lots of moving parts, but I can definitely see why you love it.” Sav commented, blocking her goal with the paddle so that he would have a harder time scoring. “Skating seems hard though, admittedly I’ve never been, but I’m sure when you get that down it’s a lot easier to focus on the game.”

The puck passed back and forth between them a few times until Trevor sent it sailing toward Savannah’s unguarded goal. Sure, he could take it easy and try to let her win, but he was far too competitive of a person for that. Nice guy or not, sport was sport, and that was the fun of competition. No one wanted easy wins, it’s only fun when you have to work for your gains. “Wait… you’ve never been skating? Really?” Trev looked up as the table dinged another scored point. It was a 1 — 1 tie so far.

Sav watched as the puck sailed towards her, and before she had the chance to block it, it slipped into the goal. “Nice shot.” She congratulated him, placing the piece back on the table to continue the game. “Nope, never. I’ve never seen snow, so the thought to go skating has never really crossed my mind. And even if it has, I guess I’ve just never gotten around to it.” The female redhead admitted, hitting the puck back towards Trevor. Skating wasn’t big in Texas, like, at all.

“Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Trevor remarked, feeling a little bit foolish that he hadn’t considered where she came from. Texas was a lot like California, except, even hotter… and way more conservative. So of course she’d never skated! “Winter sports were really big in Colorado. Man, when I was little I wanted to snowboard so bad but my mom wouldn’t let me. Too dangerous, she said. I had these big dreams of growing up to be the next CR — and now we go to school with his kid! Times change.” He laughed lightly knocked the puck so that it bounced against the wall and angled towards Savvy. “I could take you, if you’d like to learn how to skate. I could teach you, it’s a lot of fun.” That, and she’d probably look gorgeous gliding across the ice, all bundled up with a hat and gloves like a proper snow bunny.

Savvy’s lips curled up into an excited smile. Ice skating with Trevor sounded like something out of a romance novel — it was fun, intimate, and she’d get to hold onto him for support. Instead of agreeing right away, however, she decided be a little more flirtatious. “On one condition.” She stated, leaving a large pause in between her words. During her pause, she looked down at her striker and knocked the puck straight into his open goal. “Promise you won’t let me fall?” She asked, looking back up at him with her bright green eyes.

“I would nev—” Trevor began to assure her that he wouldn’t let her fall, but he was cut off by the sound of her scoring yet another goal via distraction. Trev looked down at his own hand, as if it was the one that betrayed him, and his mouth dropped open in shock. He looked back up to his adorable, sneaky little fox of an opponent. “Well, for that, I just might let you fall at least once.” He winked and shook his head with a grin, reaching down for the puck again.

After running around half the boat, getting weird looks from everyone she passed, Josie finally spotted her favorite redheads. For a moment she stopped and looked at the two of them because damn they looked cute right now, but she was going to have to ruin that. Josie was their biggest supporter but Josie needed her best friend right now, it was an emergency level situation. She’d apologize to them both later, but until then she’d be taking her favorite of the two redheads with her.

Speed walking to where the two stood, Josie only looked to Savannah and reached over grabbing her hand, “Emergency situation. I need to borrow you, like right now.” Her internal freaking out was slowly leaking out and she knew Savannah would be able to see it clear as day. As Josie pulled her friend away from the other redhead she simply looked to him and gave him a curt nod, “Hi Trevor. Bye Trevor. I’ll return your date in a bit.” With that Josie lead them to a quiet place that was lacking in people, one where Josie could fully freak out to her friend.

Sav knew right off the bat that something was wrong, but before she could say ‘hello’ or even ‘how’s your night been’ to Josie she was being pulled away from her redheaded boy faster than a tractor pulled hay. “Oh, um okay, I—” She started to babble in a state of confusion and turned to Trev, guilt written all over her face. “Sorry, duty calls. I’ll be back, I promise.” The ginger apologized to him as she attempted to keep up with her friend’s urgent pace. “I’ll find you!” Was the last thing she could manage to say before disappearing with Josie entirely into one of the side rooms that lacked people and music.

“Take your time!” Trevor called out from behind them as the two girls scampered off. He chuckled and shook his head in amusement. Pondering what to do now that it was just him, he pulled out his phone to text Savannah: I’m going to go see what Rye’s up to, text me if you can’t find me later.. He tucked his phone back in his pocket and wandered out of the game room in search of his brother, who he hadn’t seen all night.

CANCELLED.

@Prawn

It's hard to tell exactly when it will come up, because the progression of events in character depends on how much time we writers have to actually write through them. But, currently it is January 10th-ish IC, and Spring Break will be around the first week of April IC. If I am giving an honest estimate, it will probably be at least a few months in real time before we get to that point in character.

~ GM Silent

CANCELLED.

@Prawn

Hello,

Thanks for your interest, but this roleplay is currently closed for new writers. We may be opening up applications later on in the IC school year, perhaps around Spring Break, when we feel that it would be a better time for new characters/writers to join in. But for now this roleplay is still at "Full"/closed status. If we open up a Season 2 of BHHS, feel free to create a character and apply at that time.

~ GM Silent

CANCELLED.

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_{A @smarty0114 & @Silent Observer Collab
Featuring: Noah “Dance With Me!” Nichols & Dixon “N-no Thanks!” Piccoli
Location: Here, there, and everywhere.}

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While Katie and Scott had gone for a surely uncomfortable swim in the waters below, Noah and JD had followed Cassie around the corner and back to where the real party was. Noah, who’d been slumped against JD, his head resting on the younger boy’s shoulder, perked up at the sight of the bright colors that decorated the dance floor. Grinning, he took to dancing, the best he could while completely drunk off his ass.

Cassie, to her credit, was familiar with alcohol and its effects, and had a slight bit more control over herself. Smirking, she leaned down and spoke in JD’s ear, not worried about anyone overhearing thanks to the deafening music. “He’s gonna start to crash pretty soon here, kid! I’d get your boyfriend to a room! Or at least somewhere he can puke in peace!” Cassie shouted, before smiling, patting JD on the head, and skipping off into the crowd.

Dixon blanched at her words. At the assumption. Oh god, did people think that?! He turned to face her and speak. “He’s not my—” but his defense fell on deaf ears. Cassie was already walking away. His stomach clenched in fear. Oh no, what if she told people? This was bad, mayday mayday, high alert urgent bad. He looked back to Noah, who was thankfully no longer leaning against him (not that JD minded at the time, but he would mind now), and was instead dancing. If you could call that dancing.

JD didn’t dance. For a boy whose life was so centered around all things music, dancing was so not his thing. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he would sometimes dance while he played his viola, but that was in the privacy of his bedroom. He definitely would not be dancing at a party, in front of all of his classmates. So, instead of joining Noah, Dixon stood a healthy distance away to avoid getting roped into it.

Cassie mentioned that Noah might crash… or puke. Noah didn’t look like he was going to vom, but JD didn’t really know exactly what a drunk person about to puke looked like. His parents drank sometimes, but they never got that bad, at least not that he could remember. “Hey, uhh, are you sure you’re… okay?” JD attempted to say to Bible Dude over the noise of the crowd.

Noah was off in a world of his very own. His head swung around as his body moved, horribly offbeat, and without any semblance of rhythm. Noah didn’t generally like dancing, but tonight, well, the rules were different it seemed. He grinned at JD as he spoke to him, and shouted back a response. “I’m great!! Come dance! It’s FUN!”

Dixon stared back at him with wide eyes. Come dance? Oh no, no no no. Why did his palms suddenly feel sweaty at the very mention of that? He wasn’t normally this shy. This was… a new feeling. “Erm— I’m… good. Thanks.” Except for the fact that his heart was racing in his chest. That didn’t feel so good. Was this what people called an anxiety attack? He suddenly felt very ill. “You sure you don’t need, like, water or something?” Because JD felt like he needed some water. Where did his juice wind up, anyway? It certainly wasn’t in his hand anymore.

Noah rolled his eyes, and in a very Katie-esque fashion, grabbed JD’s hand and pulled him onto the dance floor, jumping up and down to the music, grinning, his hair flopping around. “THIS IS AWESOME!” he shouted, his inhibitions so far gone they were in another state at this point. He looked at Dixon, who looked about as happy as the Grinch, and grabbed his hand again, trying to get him to dance. “Dance with me!”

The green-haired boy looked down at the hand around his wrist as if it was branding him. He immediately thought of all of the different moves in his arsenal to gets his hand back and defend himself against this advance. But, this wasn’t the Combat Club. JD couldn’t knock a kid on his ass just for trying to get him to dance, as much as his fight or flight instincts were begging him to do so. Instead, Dixon’s eyes darted around the crowd, searching for any familiar faces that might see him if he actually went through with this. Gods, if his brothers saw him dancing with a guy, he would never hear the end of it. At least that’s what he thought, anyway.

“Okay! Okay.” JD replied. The coast seemed clear enough. Tucking himself further into the crowd of dancing bodies, Dixon danced. He tried to, at least. Noah was obviously drunk, and likely wouldn’t remember this anyway, so Dixon didn’t really care that he probably wasn’t dancing well. Neither was Noah!

Noah grinned at JD, overjoyed at the sight of him dancing. YES! Noah was excited. Mostly from the alcohol, but hey, who cares? Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. The frantic movements that accompanied Noah’s dancing had the alcohol that was still in his stomach churning. It wasn’t long before Noah pushed off the dance floor and ran over to the side of the boat, puking right into the ocean. This is decidedly, not cool, he thought, as he coughed up more vodka into the waves.

Nearly as soon as he had been pulled in, JD was off of the dancefloor. Thank the gods for this fortune. Dixon carefully followed after Noah, who practically ran from his spot on the floor, and watched as the kid wretched over the railing. JD winced. “Oh… gnarly.” He said as he slowly approached the other boy from behind. “I mean, I tried to warn you… You, you don’t do this much, huh?” JD asked rather rhetorically, he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that. He momentarily put a comforting hand on Noah’s back, but quickly retracted it upon realizing what he did. “You think you want that water now? We can go chill and sit down or something.”

Noah looked up at JD, his eyes half shut as if the vodka had sapped his energy on it’s way out. He nodded, and went to stand back up, but stumbled and grabbed onto JD for support. The world was spinning. Did it always spin like this? Noah closed his eyes, hoping to block out the constant motion, his hands gripping JD’s arm like a vice. _{“Lead the way,”} he mumbled.

Dixon felt every point of contact between their bodies with burning heat as Noah leaned against him. His heart rate once again picked up as the overactive organ beat erratically in his chest. Jesus, Dixon, get your shit together. He thought to himself as he let out a raspberry-like sigh through his lips. With a surprising amount of strength for a boy of his stature, JD easily guided the drunk teenager and himself towards the bar.

“Ahh, Just Juice, you’re back.” The snarky bartender remarked when Dixon sidled up to the bar again. The ‘tender took one look at Noah and shook his head ‘no’. “I’m afraid I can’t serve that one any more, sorry kid.”

“Just two glasses of water, please. And… uh, where’s the nearest bathroom, maybe?” Dixon requested with an apologetic facial expression, as if this inconvenience to the bartender was his fault. It wasn’t. This was entirely Katie’s fault, he was sure of it, but she wasn’t nearby enough to point the blame at. The bartender nodded and offered them two glasses of water before pointing towards the direction of the bathroom.

“C’mon, I gotcha.” JD said as he grabbed a glass from the bar and shifted Noah’s weight slightly as he stood. “I gotcha, you just gotta hold your glass. Okay? Got it?” Dixon reluctantly let go of the glass once he was sure that Noah had a grip on it, then he grabbed his own glass off of the bar and nodded towards the bartender in thanks. “Just don’t drop it, please.” JD encouraged as he made their way towards the bathroom. “We’re just gonna go find a bathroom, and maybe they’ll have some mouthwash or something for you… or… a toilet, in case you need to puke again, or whatever.” At this point, JD was just praying that they made it there before Noah puked on him. What a nightmare this party was.

Noah was mostly along for the ride at this point, as JD lead the way to wherever. He heard him mention a bathroom and Noah groaned out some sort of unintelligible response. He mumbled something again, before finally getting out the words he wanted to say. “Cabins. There’s cabins, up there,” Noah said, pointing up, his words slurred together. He was never drinking again after tonight.

“What?” Dixon turned his head to face Noah with a cocked eyebrow. The poor kid was struggling hard with his words, but he clearly didn’t like where JD was trying to take him. “Alright, okay, fine. I’ll tell you what, you just try not to drop that glass, and I’ll take you up to one of the cabins instead. Sound like a deal?”

Noah nodded, and began following JD up the stairs, clutching his glass tightly. He took a shaky sip of water, thankful for the delightfully cold, refreshing liquid. He’d found a rare moment of clarity, one that he certainly wouldn’t remember, where he suddenly knew how drunk he was and thought, Fuck. He was going to hate himself in the morning.

“Fuck.” JD unintentionally echoed Noah’s thoughts aloud. They’d reached the threshold of one of the aforementioned cabins, and the limey-haired boy was forcibly reminded of the entrance fee to get into said cabins. He’d have to write their names to sign them in. Fuckfuckfuck. There was no easy way around this one, he’d just have to bite the bullet. JD quickly looked over to a dazed-looking Noah and rolled his eyes before jotting both of their names down on the tablet. He flicked his eyes up to what was most likely a camera peeping at the partygoers above the cabin door, and promptly flipped off whoever was on the other side of the lens before stepping inside.

JD smelled nice. That was one of the many conclusions Noah had come to on his way to the cabin with his green-haired guardian angel. He collapsed on the bed, dragging JD down with him, the pair becoming a tangled heap atop the covers. Smiling contently, Noah ran a clammy hand through JD’s hair. “You have nice hair. Nice hair,” Noah said softly, his eyes half shut as he stared up at the ceiling.

Whoa! Too fast, much too fast. Noah probably didn’t mean to pull him down onto the bed. It was probably, most definitely, just because he was stumbling drunk. That theory was blown entirely out of the water, however, when the other boy reached up to touch him, just as JD was trying to untangle himself from the pile of cute boy. No, not cute. What the fuck?! And then Noah’s hand found its way into JD’s hair. The simple touch sent tingly shivers from JD’s scalp, down his spine, and straight to his—yikes! By reflex, which was insanely fast given his martial arts training, Dixon’s hand shot up and clamped around Noah’s wrist with much more strength than he intended. Pulling Noah’s hand away, he hissed out his words with equally as unintentional ferocity. “Don’t do that, Noah.”

Yikesyikesyikesyikesyikes! JD’s tone had a sobering effect on him, a scolding that made him realize he was acting like a mess. He pulled his hand back slowly, and cautiously untangled himself from JD, and standing up, wobbling a bit, but eventually finding his balance. He turned to look at JD for a moment, but let his eyes wander, to the ceiling, the walls, anywhere but Dixon. “I’m just gonna, uh, shower, and like, yeah,” Noah mumbled, before turning to walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, the click of the lock practically echoing throughout the room, piercing the most uncomfortable silence on a yacht, probably ever.

JD felt frozen in time. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but he was certain that he’d never felt quite like that when someone had touched him before. It was overwhelming, and he’d reacted on instinct. He’d reacted badly, he could see that now, reflected in Noah’s mortified expression. Regardless, Dixon was helpless but to stare dumbly at the other boy, a stare that looked far too much like a judging sneer, because the shock had yet to fall from JD’s face. He was caught up, once again, in a moment of irregular heart beats, to the point that he could hear his own pulse thumping in his ears.

When Noah mumbled his intentions to shower and make himself scarce, JD simply nodded, quick and fast, and watched as the boy retreated into the bathroom. Once he was alone, and the awkwardness of the silence had passed, Dixon walked back over to the scene of the crime, and sat down on the fluffy comforter. He would stay… he owed the kid that much after being an asshole, that, and Katie would probably chew him out if he abandoned ‘her painter’ in this state. More importantly, he was staying because he wanted to, not that he would admit it.

Spectral Voices

Dahlia Gianna Rothstein

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| | N I C K N A M E S | |

• Gia — An abbreviation of her middle name, and also what her grandmother is known as. She loves this nickname, often giving it out to teachers and classmates to use.
• Brujita — This is what her dad jokingly called her when he first discovered her occult hobbies. The name has stuck ever since.
• Doll — For obvious reasons, it sounds like the first half of her name for those too lazy to pronounce three syllables in full. Dahlia doesn’t mind, dolls are cool.

| | A G E | |

17, 5/28

| | G E N D E R | |

Female

| | S E X U A L I T Y | |

Pansexual — “Who you are is far more attractive than what you have.”

| | R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S | |

Confused about love, unsure if it’s real, or if it’s something she could ever have.

| | O C C U P A T I O N | |

It isn’t really a job, it’s more like a hobby that she has turned into a small business, but Dahlia runs an online shop by the name of Black Dahlia Creations. This shop sells blessed crystal jewelry, charms, oddities, and other occult objects that Dahlia either creates or collects to craft into something new. The jewelry and items that she crafts are meant to bring people peace, health, and good fortune. Positive, light magics. Always.

| | C L A S S I F I C A T I O N | |

Junior

| | R O L E | |

Misfit

| | L O O K | |

Dahlia’s Everyday Style

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| | H A B I T S | Q U I R K S | O D D I T I E S | |

• Being a practicing modern witch is something that most might consider an oddity. Dahlia reads tarot cards, tells fortunes, casts rituals, follows astrology, and studies spells.
• You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at her thrift store-purchased bohemian clothing, or her low tier social status, but Dahlia is among the wealthiest students at BHHS. She doesn’t flaunt it, and she certainly doesn’t make a habit of spending her parents’ money — most of what she spends, she has earned herself (with a little start up cash for her home business from mommy and daddy, of course).
• Dahlia is bilingual, speaking both spanish and english, and is mixed race — ¼ Puerto Rican, ¼ Mexican, ¼ German, ¼ Italian.

| | D R E A M S | |

Dahlia loves to use her affinity for magic and the occult to help people, and plans to continue doing so for the rest of her life. She hopes to maintain her craft business, perhaps someday broadening it to having a physical magic shop somewhere in downtown LA — or anywhere, travelling the world might be fun! Dahlia also entertains the idea of studying medicine, specifically holistic medicine, so she can not only help people, but heal them too!

| | L I K E S | |

• Candles & Incense
• The Outdoors
• Crystals
• Tarot
• Bookshops
• Dancing

| | D I S L I K E S | |

• Milk
• Mosquito bites
• Dogs (she was bitten as a child, so they scare her)
• Lemon-scented things
• Stereotypes about witches — namely, that they are evil
• Chemically manufactured drugs & alcohol (if she feels like getting trippy, the earth offers plenty of natural options)

| | F E A R S | |

• Her parents getting divorced. They fight a lot, they always have, so it’s a rather natural fear for her to have. It seems like too much of a possibility, and she would hate to ever have to choose sides.
• Going too deep. Dahlia is careful with practicing her craft, and does her best to steer clear of dark magic. She’s well aware of the risks of doing things like trying to talk to the dead — she’s not about to accidentally catch the attention of a demon by messing around with the other side… but she is curious.
• Falling in love. It sounds dramatic, and Dahlia would never admit it out loud, but she is afraid of love. Romance is intriguing, sure, and she loves to guide other people towards finding it in her tarot readings, but for herself? No, it’s terrifying. Love leads to heartbreak, or worse yet, she could end up in a situation like her parents. Dahlia can’t tell if they actually have a loveless marriage, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a happy one all the time.

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| | H I S T O R Y | |

In what world does the daughter of the CFO of Helmsley Enterprises, one of the richest companies in the nation, wind up being a misfit teenage witch? In the Rothstein’s world, that’s what world. Dahlia’s family has been a mess from the start, that start being when twenty-three year old rookie criminal, Judah Rothstein, ran straight out of a gang fight and into the arms of a high school dancer, Mia Daniels. Yes, it’s entirely as bad as it sounds, and it never really improved from there. Judah’s young adult bout of cradle robbing was not the first, worst, nor last of his criminal activities. It wasn’t all bad though, as he formed close relationships along the way — most notably, a best friendship that turned into a lifelong career partnership with Ryan Helmsley. And, of course, this lifestyle led him to meet the love of his life, Mia, his dancing queen.

Dahlia might role her eyes at that phrase. It’s hard to buy that Mia is the love of Judah’s life from the way that they treat each other. Doll’s father is grossly unfaithful, and her mother is a bit temperamental, and that combination of traits has bred years upon years of tension and fighting in the Rothstein home. Through all of this turbulence, the pair stayed together, whether it be for the kids, the money, or because they actually do love each other. That said, their fighting still certainly had an impact on Dahlia.

Doll was 10 years old when she rented a book out from the public library that would come to change the world as she knew it. It was an introductory book on Wicca, aimed at a younger audience. As a member of that target audience, it was enough to spark an interest in young Dahlia. Magic promised to help her take some control of her own life, control that she so desperately wanted and needed. An it harm none, do what ye will. So far, Dahlia hasn’t harmed anyone, and she is definitely doing as she wills. Practicing the craft has given her freedom, and a much-needed escape from her messy reality.

One introductory book turned into two, then three, then dozens. Margot Adler, Raymond Buckland, Phyllis Curott, Janet & Stewart Farrar, Dorothy Morrison… Dahlia can’t get enough of reading up on all of the modern neo-pagan works. Gia’s natural curiosity and love of history have helped her to develop and grow as a practicing witch. Folklore, mythology, strange historical events, spiritualism, culture, astrology, tarot — there is so much out there to be studied and explored! The teen actually runs a Tumblr blog on witchcraft to keep track of her studies, and to interact with other like-minded individuals for collaboration and discussion. Dahlia’s hobbies might be weird, but they are hers, and nobody can take them from her. She embraces who she is, even if her classmates do not (with some exceptions, like fellow wealthy weirdo, Brian Helmsley). Dahlia isn’t your typical rich bitch, and she never wants to be. In fact, she prefers when people don’t know the significance of her last name.

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| | E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S | |

• Newspaper Club — Author of the horoscopes section.
• Belly Dancing — She takes classes outside of school at INITIATE Center of Dance.
• Volleyball — Both on the beach in the summer, as well as being on the BHHS Volleyball team during the school season.

| | B E S T & W O R S T S U B J E C T S | |

| B E S T |
History, english, and art. In that order.

| W O R S T |
Math, chemistry, and probably physics as well, whenever it comes time to take that class.

| | E X T R A N O T E S | |

Faceclaim: Seychelle Gabriel
Color: 4E7764

CANCELLED.

_{Connor Prince and Selena Sterling
Location: From the bar to the dancefloor.
A collaboration with @smarty0114!}

The ever eventful day that Connor had been having, gradually became an even more eventful night. After a thoroughly awkward car ride, wherein JD and Connor got far more acquainted with each other than either wanted to be, Connor was grateful when the group went their separate ways upon arriving at the Helmsley’s yacht.

After grabbing himself a rum and coke, the young Prince had made it his mission to make an impression on any girl he could. In fact, he’d been in the middle of that mission, when he caught a glimpse of one girl in particular, silver-haired, and no less intriguing than when he’d met her yesterday. Selena Sterling.

Connor fixed her with a stare, watching as she chatted with some mystery boy, probably another snob from the looks of him. The part that really caught his attention was when a girl came up and planted one on Blondie, a sight that he hadn’t been expecting. It would have put a hole right through his stomach (not that he’d ever admit that) if Connor hadn’t also witnessed the look of pure rage that appeared moments afterwards. Laughing it up, Connor decided that this was his time to make an entrance.

Strutting across the dance floor, Connor watched as the snob left Selena’s side, and he sidled up next to the blonde, a smirk painted across his face. This was his element, his playground. Confidence rolled off of the boy, so palpable you could practically taste it. “How’s it going, Princess? I wasn’t aware you were currently playing for the other team,” he teased, taking a sip from his drink.

The girl’s grip tightened around the stem of her martini glass. What was this? Martini number two… three? Who was counting anyway, she was just lucky she hadn’t yet snapped the delicate piece of glassware in half. She certainly felt infuriated enough to do so. Instead of granting the rebel’s snarky comment with a response, Selena sipped at her drink in cold silence. The gin was drier than her sense of humor in that moment, and it tasted better for it. Sel cleared her throat gently before speaking.

“You’ll find I’m not much of a team player, Prince.” Selena Sterling — team of one — put a mocking emphasis on his last name. Her icy gaze fell upon Connor for the first time since he’d approached her. Selena had avoided looking at him entirely. Why? She wasn’t quite sure. Playing hard to get, maybe. Or perhaps it was just her aloof nature. Likely both, if she was being honest with herself. She didn’t say anything further, she let her face do the talking, and it said: what do you want?

“So I’ve guessed,” Connor replied, smirking. She was playing along, fighting back, even. Most girls melted when he opened his mouth or flashed his wallet. Not her. “I just came over to ask how your night was coming along, not to mention I got bored talking to every other girl on this yacht. They don’t make ‘em like you, Blondie,” he said with a grin, and a wink, so quick you might mistake it for a trick of the light, or an overactive imagination.

“Selena.” Sel corrected him in a stony tone of voice. Inwardly, she was completely freaking out. That was most definitely a pick-up line. He was hitting on her and, despite the annoying pet names that she did not give him permission to use, he was cute. At her request, Brynn had prepped her on how to talk to guys countless times, and all of those lessons were just leaves in the wind now — blowing away and completely out of her grasp. Everything that came out of Selena’s mouth was unrehearsed and entirely her own… whoever this version of her was. It was terrifying and exciting, all at once. “If you insist on a nickname, you can call my Sparkles. I at least like that one.”

Sel looked back over to him now, taking another sip of her drink. If she wasn’t careful, she would start to feel the effects of it. She was well aware of her own limits, and if this was actually her third drink, she might be exceeding them quicker than anticipated. This was fair, in her mind, given that she also hadn’t anticipated being kissed against her will. That warranted an extra drink or two. “My night has been… going rather poorly, if you actually care to know the honest answer.” Sel doubted that he did. No one around here was genuine. Beverly Hills was the land of fake tans and even faker people.

Connor grinned, leaning against the bar, as if to say “Yeah, I’m cooler than you, what about it?” “Let me guess, it has something to do with that little munchkin who went and planted one on you?” Connor said, smirking and taking a sip from his drink.

“Oh, yes, surely my problems are only about who I do and don’t kiss for the night.” Selena retorted grumpily and rolled her eyes. A pity that he was so one-sided, she had hoped that he’d be different. Subconsciously putting up a wall between them, Sel crossed her left arm under her breasts and rested her hand in the crook of her right elbow, which was bent to tip her martini glass to her lips. She was feeling the alcohol and, just like her mother, that meant that she lost her filter. “You don’t really care about my night, so, tell me why you really came over here, Connor Prince. Do note that I only respect honesty, so you can leave the flowery lines about other girls aside for now. It’s rather poor taste to compare me to them.” Selena’s eyes only left his own long enough to appraise his outfit, as she remembered the one refreshing quality about him yesterday was his sense of style. It wasn’t his only refreshing quality, but she was feeling bitter and peeved, so she pretended like it was, even to herself.

This was new. How exciting it was, to be called out like that, like she couldn’t care less about who he was or what he may or may not be able to do in the sheets. “Well then, if you must know, you intrigue me, Selena Sterling. I wasn’t lying when I said you’re different. You are. I think you’re different than most people out there, and I like it.” Connor smiled at her. That all was the truth, maybe slightly watered down, but still the truth. It neglected to mention that Selena had been running through his mind since they’d met, that he’d brought her up with Damian, that maybe, just maybe, he had a crush.

Selena felt her cheeks grow warm. It was probably the alcohol. Selena Sterling did not blush. “That… actually makes sense.” Most people didn’t like her. It was like some wild talent that she had, effortlessly causing people to loathe her. Hell, she even tried to drive him away, but, he was still here. And he said he liked her, and that he liked her for being different. While everyone else steered clear of her, Connor was lured in by her nature. Perhaps he wasn’t totally one-sided, and could see her for being more than just the catty It girl she painted herself to be. Sel bit her bottom lip softly, remembered her lipstick, and then quickly halted that. “You’re wearing Versace again, is that a favorite of yours?” Selena turned the conversation back towards him, before he could say something else to make her feel all… special.

Connor grinned. He could tell he’d earned some points there, gotten one step closer to her. Brick by brick, he’d bring the wall down, a modern day Reagan. He looked down at his outfit, the same one he’d worn to school, and back up at Selena. “My mother always refused to let me leave the house in anything less than the best. She was stubborn like that, and now I guess I don’t feel dressed if I’m not impressing. I take it, I’ve succeeded?”

It may be that the most shocking event of the evening occured next, and there wasn’t anyone around but Connor to see it, Selena Sterling laughed. It was genuine laughter. Her buzz made it more of a girlish giggle than a proper laugh, too. Having realized what she just did, Selena brought a hand to her lips to keep any more giggles from bubbling out. “Ahem, sorry, that was just… incredibly relatable.” Selena’s own fashion sense, and piles of insecurities, came from the pressures of her mother. Nothing less than perfection was ever acceptable, not when there were polished appearances to keep up. “Yes, you’ve succeeded… for now.” Sel tacked on with a… was that a smirk? Perhaps having Jamie as a best friend was rubbing off on her.

“Perfect, now I can rest easy,” Connor said, smiling with genuine amusement. “Don’t get me wrong, my mom’s great, really. Her only wrongdoing was marrying my dad,” Connor said, his smile faltering at the mention of his father. “So, who was that guy from earlier? Y’know, the snobby looking one?” Connor asked, changing the subject with as much ease as he could, doing his best not to sound like he was jealous, but ultimately sounding as jealous as could be.

For a moment, Selena’s face softened. Connor was talking about family, something real, which was clearly making him feel some type of way. Sel listened, because for just a second, he let his mask drop; but just as quickly as it had come, the rare moment fled. Connor then turned the conversation to none other than Jamie, her best friend and confidant. As if the mere mention of him had summoning powers, another smirk graced Selena’s face. “Is that… jealousy?” Sel asked knowingly, more than a little flattered by it. “I doubt you could compete, but, his name is Jamie.”

Connor smirked and took a sip of his drink, chuckling a little before answering. “Jealousy? Never met her, but I do know that I can compete with just about anyone,” Connor said. “I mean, at least I’m told,” Connor said, punctuating his sentence with a wink.

For the second time in their conversation, Selena rolled her eyes. “We’ll see about that…” She mused doubtfully. There was a commotion towards the dancefloor that pulled her attention from Connor for a moment. It was almost nothing, she’d nearly looked away from it, until she saw the familiar form of a tall blond male retreating into the crowd with his hand gripping Brynn’s. Some of the dancers, if you could really call them that, stood and stared down at the guy left in a heap on the floor. “Oh my god! Should we go help?” Selena gaped, her brain struggling to process this information. Did Sean just knock someone out?

Connor hardly hesitated, leaving his drink on the bar, and walking over to where the guy was lying on the ground, his face swollen and already beginning to bruise. Selena followed hurriedly after him, leaving her own empty glass on the bar behind her. Connor turned around, looking at Selena for a moment, then back to the guy. “Looks like someone had a bit of a run in,” Connor said, before kneeling down next to the unconscious dude. Their night, it seemed, was far from over.

CANCELLED.

^{A collaboration of two Candies falling overboard with @Universorum.}

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Water. He needed water. A whole ocean’s worth of it. Except not the actual ocean, because the ocean was salty, and that would only make him thirstier. Marshall Radley was far from a boy scout survivalist, but he at least knew that much. What he did not know, however, was what exactly was wrong with him. Obviously he was high… but high on what? Cherry Lego candy? It was stupid of him to have taken that, Ophie recommendation or not, it was obvious that it was a drug. Especially coming from Kit’s hands, if last night’s misadventures were anything to learn form. Marshall clearly didn’t learn, because now he was floating up in the clouds instead of being focused on his mission. He had made a deal with both Trixie and himself that he would talk to Jamie tonight. How was he supposed to profess his feelings of admiration when he couldn’t even follow his own train of thought anymore?

Oh, wow, pretty… And just like that, he was distracted from both his main mission, and his side quest for water. His sandpapery dry throat was easily forgotten with the sight of the breathtaking scene before him. Sparkling. Dark. Mysterious. Marshall peered over the edge of the railing, gasping slightly at the deep pacific blue below. Rays of moonlight danced along the shimmering waves, enrapturing the inebriated boy in a spellbound state. It was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen, he was sure of it.

Fortunately for Marshall, there would soon be something to snap him out his trance on the ocean. The very same Kit that had supplied him with the drug, had found him once more. And she had a story to tell! Marshall was pretty much her third best friend, and the most accessible at this very moment! Kit came barreling toward him at mach speed, fueled by excitement, fruity drinks, and whatever it was that Ophelia had fed her. “Marshhhhh!” She called out, and then came the bad idea.

Kit launched herself off of the flooring. She planned to hug him, like a flying ninja hug. Her plan, as Kit’s plans often did, would instead go south. Literally, as she sent both herself and Marshall tumbling over the edge and down, down toward the glistening beautiful water that Marshall had been distracted by.

Huh? Was someone calling his name? Briefly shaken from his enamored stupor, Marshall turned around slowly. Too slowly. He couldn’t help his sluggish movements though, if he spun around too fast, he felt like he might get sick. This was unfortunate, given that a quick reaction would probably have been the only way to prevent what happened next. Marshall only managed to yelp “Kit, wait!” before holding his hands out in front of himself defensively. His defenses were weak, and the tiny blonde crashed into him, sending them both over the railing with the momentum.

Oh god, he was going to die! He was high and he was gonna die that way. Him and this freshman girl he barely knew would be the stars of tomorrow’s tragic headline. The scream that escaped his lips did not sound human, let alone sound like a noise that a man should make. He was going to die anyway, so shame was out the window. Or overboard, in this case. In those final moments before they met their inevitable end, Marshall did the only thing that was instinctive. He wrapped his arms around Kit and hugged her as they fell. Maybe he could keep her safe in doing so, and if not, at least they would both have a final embrace before they met their doom.

It wasn’t long before they hit the water, and despite Marshall’s internal feelings, they were alive when they splashed into the chilly seas of the Pacific. Alive, but very, very cold. Underneath the water, Kit squirmed out of Marshall’s grasp, and propelled herself back up to the surface. Though the water around them was stone cold, it was illuminated by the boat, and Kit had to admit it was… gorgeous.

Unfortunately for her, the effects of the water were almost immediate. She was sobering up, and fast! She reached under the water and grabbed for Marshall’s form, hauling him back up to face her, “Marsh!” She giggled at him, smiling widely, her pearly white teeth glowing in the blue lights radiating from the boat. “I kissed Selena!”

The frigid waters bit into his skin, chilling him instantly. Marshall was alive, but he wouldn’t stay that way if he kept sinking under the waves. With Kit’s assistance and his own panic propelling him, Marsh breached the surface and gasped for breath. “Holy shit! Holy shit, it’s freezing!” Marshall exclaimed through chattering teeth. He struggled to keep himself afloat as the water weighed down his clothing. Kit seemed totally unfazed by this turn of events. She was practically beaming and, wait, what did she just say? “You what?”

Kit was beginning to feel the chilliness of the water seeping through her bones, and she looked over her shoulder back at the boat. The boat that had human drying machines. The boat that had hot food. She yearned to be on the boat… But Marshall had asked her a question, and she was a good friend! Press on, she must. “I kissed Selena. See, I was talking to Brynn and I drank alcohol and I got all hyped up cuz I saw her talking to Jamie… So I just walked over and grabbed her and kissed her! I’m glad I did it, but… It kinda sucked, I don’t think she’s really for me.”

Marshall was focused mostly on not drowning, but he managed to listen to most of Kit’s response. He perked up at the mention of Jamie, no doubt beaming much in the same way that Kit had just been. “Oh, well. That’s… uhm… good? So you aren’t upset about it?” Marsh asked in a concerned tone. His mood was quickly shifted when a wave knocked into them, punching as if it were solid ice. This snapped Marshall back to reality. He was in the ocean! And you know what else is in the ocean? Jellyfish. Marsh’s face paled to a stark white shade of terror as he looked over to Kit. “We need to leave. Oh my god, we need to leave. There are jellies in here, Kit! Sharks! And jellies!” He declared before turning to paddle towards the nearest ladder up the boat. Oh god, he hoped there was a ladder!

Kit swam after Marshall, wondering what he was going on about. Jellies? Like Jellos? Man, Kit really liked Jello… Green Jello, red Jello, blue Jello, sometimes but not very often because it’s kinda foul but it’s still Jello yellow Jello… Kit swam up to Marshall as he approached the opening of the boat, and nudged him toward the ladder that was, luckily for them, lit up by additional LEDs. “Come on, let’s go. I want Jello!” Kit said excitedly, shaking her head and watching the water spray from the blonde locks. Kit was apparently very comfortable in the cold water, as it seemed to be having less of an effect on her than Marshall. Of course, Kit wasn’t afraid of jellyfish.

The petrified boy didn’t need to be told twice to ‘go’. Marshall scampered up the ladder with haste. He lost his footing a few times and almost sent them both careening back into the deep. It wasn’t for lack of grace, but because he was soaking wet. That, and his drenched clothing made him feel twice as heavy as normal. And… despite the sobering effect of the chilled waters, he still wasn’t very sober. Once they were safely back aboard the ship, Marshall held on to the nearest surface for dear life and panted. He could honestly kiss the ground right now. After a few moments of letting his brain catch up with everything, he looked back over to Kit. “Wait… so you kissed Selena. You kissed… how? What did she do after that? Did she kiss back?” Could the silver princess be gay? Marshall had a pretty decent gaydar, but he’s been wrong before. If she was a closeted lesbian, that might explain how grumpy she could be sometimes… and why no man ever seemed good enough for her.

Kit was up to the boat shortly after Marshall was, sitting on the warm, heated floors of the lower deck of the ship. After she was asked another question, Kit shook her head, and tapped her chin thoughtfully, “I mean, she did kiss me, but I didn’t really give her much of a choice… I went hard. Like, real hard. Anyway, afterward, she and Jamie kinda stared at me like I was gross? I told her that she isn’t really good ‘nuff for me, then ran away and found you so I could tell you!” She grabbed a handful of her hair and twisted it, squeezing some of the water out, “she’s not for me, I guess. I’m not upset, I’m more relieved than anything. I got to do it! And that’s been my goal for like… months now…”

“You told her… you told her she wasn’t good enough for you?” Marshall stared at the little one with wide eyes and then laughed. Oh wow, he was pretty sure that Selena had likely never heard those words before in her life. It was cruel… but it was also a little amusing. “Yikesss, you’re lucky to be alive, kid. You aren’t gross, though. Probably shouldn’t have just… ran up and kissed her and then ran away, but, you know. Nobody’s perfect. I’m glad you realized that she wasn’t for you though. If she looked at you like you were gross, it’s probably because she’s very straight. Not meant to be.” Marshall ran a hand through his hopelessly wet locks, shaking some of the water out. “So… who’s next on your radar then? Any other suitors for Candyland to help you with?”

“Nope! I’m a strong, independent, blonde Kit, who doesn’t need no man or woman. ‘Sides, I gotta help my friend with her boyfriend… Also, I don’t think I’m going to sit with you guys tomorrow… I’m pretty sure that Jamie and Selena — and maybe Hailey or Trixie — are gonna be mean to me. Luckily, I have a plan to deal with that! So don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay… I’m not sure if I should… be in Candyland, neither? Since, I just kinda showed up and wiggled my way in! If I’m not in love with Selena, Ophelia and Cassie aren’t gonna want me around are they? I’ll probably quit the cheerleading squad too, I don’t even like cheerleading…” Kit blew a raspberry and shook her head in disappointment. All that, for a little kiss. It didn’t seem worth it now that she looked back at it.

“Oh…” Marshall looked saddened by her words. Perhaps the kiss had more of an impact on Kit than she was letting on. “Well, if you don’t like cheer you should probably quit that. It’s a ton of work and it takes up a lot of time, which probably isn’t worth it if you aren’t enjoying yourself. As for sitting with us, and Candyland, you don’t have to ditch. I know a lot of people think we’re a mean bunch, but we aren’t like that. I like you, and Ophelia must if she invited you over, and even Hailey seemed to like you this morning. If Hailey is on your side, no one else will say shit. But… it’s your choice if you don’t want to hang. I hope you’ll still talk to me?” He asked hopefully. Perhaps not all was lost with this new unlikely friend he’d gained. Kit was fun, and in need of guidance, and Marshall thought he was the perfect friend to help. Hopefully. He could try.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I think I heard Selena say the words ‘end her’ as I made my dashing, daring, sneaky escape. I’m a lil scared to sit at the table, and I’ll feel a bit safer with my plan in action, but I’ll still go to Candyland if you think they’ll let me! She has a soft serve machine in her home. How cool is that?” Kit asked, smiling widely at Marshall. Kit liked the group of those people! Plus, they’d ran and got her pizza and cheesy bread without so much as a word of complaint. If she was going to survive high school, then these were the people she needed to stick by.

Marsh grinned in response. “I’m sure they will. Ophie is my bestie, she’s good people, definitely not the type to drop you just because you didn’t hit it off with Selena. We didn’t really expect you to, not that you aren’t cute, it’s definitely a “it’s not you, it’s her” situation.” He watched as she wrang her blonde locks out, dripping icy water all over the floor. “Do you think they have towels or something?” Marsh looked around with a shiver, hugging his arms around his torso in an attempt to retain what little body heat he had left.

“Dude, what? This is a Helmsley joint. Top of the line! Spared no expense. They just have like big ass air dryers for humans. It’s pretty wicked, but my hair is gonna be fucked. Oh well, at least I’m still in this way too short dress.” Kit smiled and stood up, “I’m gonna go get dry, then see if I can find Shauna! The dryers are up the stairs and to the left. I’ll be okay, once I find her we’re gonna get in the hot tub! Thanks Marshie, I love you, you’re too kind! And excellent at making me not upset.” Kit paused, and tapped her chin.

“Wait, one last thing…”

“Shauna? Hot tub?” Marshall asked incredulously. His features were colored with worry. “Be careful, she’ll probably try to sleep with you. You’re kind of… her type.” The apples of his cheeks rose in a smile when she said that she loved him. What a little sweetheart! “What is it?”

“Do you wanna go to the Valentine’s Dance with me? I can’t ask Selena obviously, and going LITERALLY BY MYSELF sounds lame. You’re cool, and you’re gay, so you can’t just ask another boy along with you. So I figured you and me could go!”

That was unexpected. He briefly considered correcting her, and saying that he could actually ask another boy to the dance. He had already vehemently argued against the sexist, homophobic undertones of having the Valentine’s Dance be “Sadie Hawkins” style (and he obviously lost that argument). But… Kit just said that she loved him. Obviously not love love, but it was still a very nice thing to say, and he wasn’t about to go and break her heart, so… “Of course I’ll go with you. Brush up on your dancing skills though, I expect the best.”

Kit stood up and straightened her body, saluting Marshall, “aye, Captain. Thanks! I’ll see you tomorrow, and if I don’t, I’m either dead because I overdosed, or I’m late! Byeeeee.” With that, Kit rushed up the stairs, onto the next part of her night long journey.

For Queen and Country

𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘

“Your scans are back for Ms. Preski, Doctor White.” A short ginger-haired woman approached the resident neurosurgeon. Suriel accepted the large manila envelope with the warmest of smiles. They found that their smile had an emotionally healing effect on people, and smiling was the easiest thing in the world to do, so of course they did so whenever it was appropriate for the situation. It was curious how such a simple gesture could do so much for a person. The angel cannot fathom why more humans don’t practice it, to truly smile, and possibly brighten another person's day in doing so. The red-headed nurse smiled in return, causing an adorable dimple to form at the left corner of her mouth. Suriel admired it for a moment before thanking the woman, who then hurried out of the room, undoubtedly to carry out her next nursely duty.

Now that Suriel was left to their work, they extracted the scans from the protective envelope. Scanning the film briefly to see what cursory information could be gleaned from it, Suriel decided that better lighting was needed. Walking over to the eastern wall, Suriel closed the door gently and turned off the lights. They clipped the MRI scans up onto the lightbox and powered the ancient device on. Edgetoun had yet to graduate to twenty first century medical equipment, so manual reading of physical scans was the only option for the training neurosurgeon.

Suriel did not mind the challenge that Edgetoun Memorial’s lack of state-of-the-art equipment imposed, though. The technological advancements made in the past seven years were wonderful, but Suriel knew well enough that relying too fully on technology could put doctors dangerously out of practice. Doctors are problem solvers, and medicine is puzzling by nature, so it is important to remember what it feels like to think and study, rather than become a slave to machinery or monotony. That said… the hospital could use some extra funding, they were lacking in technologies that Suriel could use to help save more lives, and saving lives was the only reason that the angel was here for.

The fair-haired doctor turned their attention to the scans and studied them for a moment, a finger pressed to their chin in silent contemplation. Most other doctors would see this for what it was: a grim prognosis. There was not one, but three tumors taking residence in Ms. Preski’s grey matter. Suriel White was not most doctors, however. They did not believe in pessimism, nor the “realism” that was simply pessimism hidden behind a more palatable name. Doctor White would do everything in their power to save a patient, and to heal them, as it was their divine calling to do so.

Suriel jotted some notes down on their patient’s chart, mostly laying out the options moving forward. Ms. Preski could choose accept their prognosis and forgo treatment, or undergo chemotherapy, schedule a surgery, or a combination of the latter two. The choice was always left in the patient’s hands, though Suriel did have their own recommendations for which treatment option was ideal. Suriel gathered the scans and stored them in a folder with Ms. Preski’s chart, and their notes, before placing them on their work desk until Ms. Preski’s appointment later in the afternoon.

The angelic doctor had a few minutes between now and their next appointment, so they took this time to use the facilities and stop in the break room. They would — metaphorically, of course — kill for a cup of tea right about now. Thankfully maintenance had finally fixed the coffee pot so that the hot water spicket worked once more. Suriel browsed their options and selected an earl grey tea bag from the tray. Taking a few moments to sit down and rest their weary body while their tea steeped, Suriel’s eyes flicked to the telly, which was currently playing Raine or Shine with Ryleigh Raine. They only caught the first few minutes before the break room door opened to reveal the Chief of Staff. Suriel sat up a little straighter and nodded towards the authority figure in the hospital who was looking… rather harried. Far more so than normal.

“Doctor White, perfect, just the person I was looking for. Well… one of many.” The man said, sounding slightly out of breath. He often got that way after taking a flight of steps too fast. Or just taking a flight of steps at a normal pace… he was a tad bit overweight, after all.

Suriel looked up at him, concern maring their otherwise ethereal features. He was looking for Suriel, as well as many other staff members? That could only mean that there was some kind of emergency. “What is it, doctor?” Suriel asked, prepared to abandon the cup of tea that they were so ready to thoroughly enjoy just moments ago. There was no time for relaxation if duty called them to action. It would be selfish to do anything other than act. Selfishness was the first step towards falling, and they would not fall.

“I’m not sure where you personally stand on the whole Other situation that we have here in Edgetoun, but regardless of any personal morals or opinions we may have, we all swore the same oath. To save lives. That includes the Others—” He began, but was quickly cut off.

“Of course, sir. Of course it includes Others.” Suriel responded quickly, fearing that he might be assuming the worst of them. They were not a bigot towards Others, how could they be when they were one? But the Chief of Staff did not know that he was, in fact, speaking to an Other. He was right though, Suriel swore an other to save all, and they meant it… even a demon… if it were to come to that. “What’s happened? Why is this coming up all of the sudden?”

“Oh… you haven’t heard yet?” He asked, to which Suriel shook their head and replied with a soft ‘no’. “Well… there was a broadcast hijacking made by someone with, uhh, less than savory intentions towards the Others. They threatened them on the full moon that will be this weekend. Looks like we might have a bit of a wolf hunt situation on our hands. This can only mean one thing — people are going to get hurt. People on either side, possibly both sides.”

“No…” Suriel’s heart rate kicked into high gear. They felt nervous, more nervous than the day of the mass outing of the Other. This was the very moment that they feared coming to life. It was just like the biblical stories that were read in the sermons at Our Mother of Mercy. Humanity was tempted into discovering wisdom and knowledge by eating the forbidden fruit, and in doing so, they invited sin into their lives. The weight of sin was death… and the weight of knowing the Others would be death too, it seemed. But not if Suriel could help it.

“I know you were scheduled to have this Sunday off, but could you possibly be on call that night? We don’t want to be caught short staffed if things get… well, you know.” He said gloomily.

Suriel nodded in agreement. “Of course, sir. I can even be on site, if you want me to be. Either way, I won’t be far.”

“Thank you, Doctor White. Edgetoun is a better place with people like you in it. Have a nice day, and, please do spread the word among staff. Stay safe.”

“I will, doctor. You too!” They responded and, with a shaky hand, brought the steaming cup of tea to their lips. Suriel could use a moment of quiet relaxation now more than ever. They still had to prepare what to say to Ms. Preski this afternoon, let alone work overtime in a possible weekend massacre. Heavens help them.